Wild Earth Wines: Stars align for prizewinning pinot noir

Wild Earth Wines' 2014 and 2015 pinot noirs have done well in competition this year. Their biggest market is visitors to the cellar door at Kawarau Gorge. Head chef George Sumara (left) and marketing manager Elbert Jolink, pictured by wine barrels that have been converted into gas-fired ovens, or stoakers, are delighted with the wines' success. Photo / Yvonne O'Hara

Wild Earth Wines, near Cromwell, has had a good haul of gold medals this month.

Its 2015 yet-to-be-released pinot noir won the only Central Otago gold awarded in the 2017 Decanter Asia Wine Awards earlier this month, and it was the first time it had entered that competition.

It was also one of several of the region's vineyards to win gold at last week's New Zealand International Wine Show, with the same wine, while its 2012 Earth and Sky pinot noir and its pinot noir Special Edition 2014 won silver at this year's International Wine Challenge in London and at the 2017 New Zealand International Wine Show.

In addition, its Special Edition was one of six to win golds at the Decanter World Wine Awards in London in April as well as a trophy at the Royal Easter Show Wine Awards this year.

Wild Earth marketing manager Elbert Jolink said 2014 was a great vintage for the company and attributed the success to the growing season's hot days and cold nights.

''The 2014 pinot noir was a great vintage for us, as the stars were aligned,'' Mr Jolink said.

In addition to creating its 2014 pinot noir with a normal grape blend, it selected fruit from two clones - Burgundy Pommard clone 5 and the Dijon 115 - that their then winemaker Peter Bartle, of Vin Pro, thought had grapes that stood out from the rest.

''That year those grapes had their own unique characteristics so we made a special edition, which worked out well for us.''

It makes between 6000 and 7000 cases in total a year and although its biggest market is within New Zealand and through its cellar door, it also sells to the United Kingdom and has a growing market in Japan, Malaysia and other Asian countries.

''We also do pinot gris, riesling and pinot noir rose and we are on to our third chardonnay vintage.''

The yet-to-be-released 2015 pinot noir was also doing well in competitions.

Wild Earth started selling its own wines in 2004 and since 2006, every vintage has won medals or trophies.

The company used to own a vineyard in Felton Road, Bannockburn but sold it a few years ago and agreed to buy its fruit from the new owners.

It uses French oak barrels for maturation, and some of which have been converted into wooden, gas-fired ovens or stoakers for their restaurant and for off-site catering.
Winemaker Jen Parr has made their wines since 2015.

They use winemaking facilities at Maude Wines in Wanaka, while the 2017 pinot gris comes from grapes grown in Gibbston and Pisa.

''Jen is a really talented winemaker.

''We trust her and don't interfere, and we just tell her to make something good.

''Central Otago wines have a unique flavour, which you don't get anywhere else in the world,'' he said.

He said it was ''bottled poetry'', and visitors to the restaurant and cellar door could take their experiences home with them, and when they drank it, it brought back memories of their trips.

-By Yvonne O'Hara
Southern Rural Life